There is a large demand for inexpensive devices that allow for convenient and fast manipulation of particles such as non-magnetic particles. Such technologies may be useful, for example, in the separation of non-magnetic particles from magnetic particles. Examples of non-magnetic particles that may be desirable to isolate include beads, cells, and/or biological species, among others. As a specific example, one may desire to separate circulating tumor cells from a bloodstream of a patient. As another example, one may desire to isolate a non-magnetic precipitant of a chemical reaction from a background magnetic fluid. While various schemes have been developed to manipulate and isolate non-magnetic particles such as cells, their speed, efficiency, and affordability have been limited.